Device for use with the dialing plates of automatic telephone instruments



B. SEGEAL 2,097,384 DEVICE FOR USE WITH THE DIALING PLATES OF AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE INSTRUMENTS Och 26, 1937.

Filed Sept. 3, 1936 BARNETT SEGEAL ATT ORNEYS Patented Oct. 26, 1937 UNITED STATES DEVICE FOR USE WITH THE DIALING PLATES OF AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE IN-,

STRUMEN TS Barnett Segeal, London, England, assignor to Sami Wickersham Schubert, London, England Application September 3, 1936, Serial No. 99,285 In Great Britain July 13, 1936 12 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for use with the dialing plates of automatic telephone instruments of the known type consisting of a retatable disc provided with a number of apertures adjacent to the circumference thereof. When put to use the said disc is rotated manually to bring .each aperture in turn, as desired, into a predetermined position with reference to a fixed stop, the disc, after each such manually effected movement has been completed, being released and returned to an initial position by means of a spring. The rotation of the disc to move any desired aperture toward the stop has usually been eifected by the tip of a finger of the user, or by a vertically movable plunger carried on an arm pivotally mounted coaxially with the said disc, the finger tip or plunger being inserted in the aperture and moved along the circular path of the aperture until arrested by contact with the said so stop.

' When a plunger is employed, whether it is mounted on a resilient arm, or movable in the arm against the action of a spring to allow it to be brought into engagement with the aperture in the a disc, the manner in which the plunger is grasped by the user may impose some restraint on the free return of the disc by the spring when the plunger is raised to withdraw it from the aperture.

According to this invention the plunger comprises a head portion for engaging with the apertures in the disc and a stem portion surrounded by a handle which can be conveniently grasped to depress the plunger and to eflect its rotary movement about the pivotal mounting of the arm. This handle is so mounted on the plunger spindle that it can move upwardly for a shortdistance either freely or preferably against the action of a spring.

The downward movement of the plunger may be L0 effected relatively to the arm and against the action of a spring, or the arm may be itself resilient so as to serve as a spring to maintain the plunger raised out of engagement with the apertures in the dial plate except when depressed manually 5 to engage in an aperture.

The said arm is preferably mounted on a pivot pin carried on a cross-bar extending radially inwardly from a split ring adapted to engage within the rim usually provided on telephone dialing D plates so that it can be readily attached to or removed from an existing instrument without requiring any alteration in the structure of the telephone instrument, this split ring taking'the place of the split ring usually provided to retain 5 in place in the rim a card or tablet having any re quiredinscription marked thereon, the said ring moreover having a lug to engage a hole in the dialing plate to prevent rotation of the ring within the rim.

In the accompanying drawingz'l Figure 1 is a plan view of oneform of the improved device. I

Figure 2 shows a side view of the same with parts in section.

Figure 3 is an underside view thereof.

Figures 4 and 5 are side views of modified constructional forms in accordance with this invention hereinafter referred to.

As shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, a split ring a. which may be held by its own resiliency in an' undercut or recessed rim b of a dialing plate 0, indicated in broken lines, is provided with a lug d to engage in a hole in the dialing plate and prevent rotation of the ring when the latter is placed within the said rim b. This ring being split can be-readily introduced into or removed from the recessed rim. A cross-bar e formed integrally with or secured to the ring a extends radially inwardly from the ring and carries centrally with respect to the ring a pivot pin 1 on which an arm g is rotatably mounted. This arm supports a tubular bearing h in which a plunger comprising a stem i and a head 1' is slidably mounted at the same radial distance from the pin 1 as the apertures in the dialing plate.

A sleeve is with a transverse 'wall or bar at its upper end by which the sleeve can be rigidly attached to the stem 2', is slidable on the bearing h and a spring I is interposed between the sleeve and the bearing, this spring acting to draw the plunger upwardly and bring the head 1 thereof into contact with the underside of the arm g. A handle m is slidablyv mounted on the sleeve in, downward movement of this handle on the sleeve being limited by aflange n on the sleeve. The stem i at its upper end carries a disc or Washer o and a spring p is arranged within the handle between an interior shoulder in the handle and the washer 0, this spring pressing the handle downwardly into contact with the flange n.

The head :I may be grooved as shown in Figure 2 or it may be of a conical shape, and its outer surface may be made of india-rubber.

When a number is to be dialed, the user grasps the handle m and swings the arm 9 on its pivot until the plunger-is above the desired aperture in the dialing plate. The handle m is then depressed against the action of the spring 1 until the head 7' is-within the aperture as shown in broken lines in Figure 2, and the arm a is then rotated carrying with it the dialing plate until the plunger comes into contact with a stop q Figure 1. as usually provided on telephone instruments with which this invention is intended for use.

The handle m is then raised to lift the head out or the aperture and release the dialing plate. It the handle m is rigidly connected to the stem 1', in thus raising the handle, some restraint may be imposed on the freedom of movement of the dialing plate. By the improved construction this disadvantage is avoided as the spring p permits a small upward movement of the handle on the plunger without causing any binding of the arm g on the pivot ,f.

In place of the cross-bar e a disc separate from the ring a may be provided to carry the pivot pin f, this disc being held in place within the rim b by a split ring or in any other convenient manner.

The necessity of employing a spring for raising the plunger such as the spring I in Figure 2, is avoided by providing a resilient arm 0' as shown in the alternative construction illustrated in Figure 4. The plunger head a can in this case be permanently secured to the arm n and a rod 2" can be provided to support and guide the handle m which can be mounted on the rod so that it can slide thereon through a-limited distance and which normally rests by its own weight on the said arm. It is however preferable to secure the handle m to a collar 1' slidable on the rod 1" and provide a washer or shoulder 0' at the upper end of the said rod with a spring 10 between the shoulder o and the collar 1'. The spring p holds the collar r against the arm a and yields to allow a lifting movement of the handle m without applying any substantial restraining eifort through the pin f to retard the free return movement of the dialing plate by its spring.

The head 7' is brought into engagement with an aperture in the dialing plate by depressing the handle m and thus bending the arm which when free, by its resiliency raises the said head to a position above the dialing plate.

An alternative method of supporting the slidable handle, which may be either of the construction shown in Figure 2 or that shown in Figure 4, is illustrated in Figure 5 in which the handle m is carried on a flexible arm g formed integrally with a ring e and extending outwardly. A split ring or band a is formed with annular flanges which can be respectively engaged in theundercut or recessed rim b and in an interiorly directed groove formed on the ring e by bending the edges of the same. The arm 9 can then be moved on a circular path, the ring e sliding on the ring a or the said ring a rotating in the rim b.

I claim:

1. A device for use with the dialing plates or automatic telephone instruments, said device comprising a plunger movable axially into and out of engagement with apertures in the dialing plate, and a handle mounted around the stem of the plunger and movable axially thereon through a limited distance.

2. A device for use with the dialing plates of automatic telephone instruments, said device comprising a plunger provided with a head movable axiaily into and out of engagement with apertures in the dialing plate, a handle mounted around the stem of the plunger and movable axially thereon through a limiteddistance, and

' a spring arranged between an abutment within the handle and an abutment on the said plu ger.

3. A device for use with the. dialing plates of automatic telephone instruments, comprising a plunger provided with a stem and a head movable axially into and out of engagement with apertures in the dialing plate, a tubular bearing in which the stem of the plunger can slide. a spring urging theplunger'upwardly relatively to the tubular bearing, a sleeve slidable on the tubular bearing, a handle slidable on the sleeve, and a spring urging the handle downwardly relatively to the said sleeve.

4., A device for use with the dialing plates of automatic telephone instruments, comprising a plunger provided with a stem and a head movable axially into and out of engagement with apertures in the dialing plate, a tubular bearing in which the stem of the plunger can slide, a spring arranged between abutments on the tubular bearing and the said stem respectively, a handle surrounding the said stem and a spring arranged between abutments on the handle and stem respectively.

5. A device for use with the dialing plates of automatic telephone instruments, the said device comprising a plunger provided with a stem and a head movable axially into and out of engagement with apertures in the dialing plate, a tubular bearing for the stem ofthe plunger, an abutment on the stem, a sleeve secured to the stem and slidable on the said tubular bearing, a handle with an interior abutment mounted around the sleeve, a spring arranged between the abutments on the handle and the stem and a flange on the sleeve to limit the movement of the handle relatively to the said stem under the action of the spring.

6. A device for use with the dialing plates 01' automatic telephone instruments, the said device comprising a plunger movable axially into and out of engagement with the apertures in the dialing plate, a handle movable axially on the plunger through a limited distance and a pivoted arm supporting the said plunger.

7. A device for use with the dialing plates of automatic telephone instruments, the said device comprising a pivot pin, means for securing the pivot pin to a telephone dialing plate, a resilient arm rotatably mounted on the said pivot pin, a plunger mounted in the said arm so as to move on a circular path in the rotational movement of the arm, and a handle mounted on the plunger and movable axially thereon through a limited distance.

8. A device for use with the dialing plates of automatic telephone instruments, the said device comprising a pivot pin, means for securing the pivot pin to a telephone dialing plate, an arm rotatably mounted on the pivot pin, a plunger mounted in the said arm and movable into and out of engagement with any one of the apertures in the dialing plate, a handle mounted on the plunger and a spring arranged between abutments on the plunger and handle respectively.

9. A device for use with the dialing plates oi. automatic telephone instruments, the said device comprising a split ring adapted to engage with-* in a rim' on a dialing plate, a pivot pin supported by the said ring, an arm rotatabiy mounted on the pivot pin, a plunger carried by the said arm so as to be movable into and out of, en gagement with apertures in the dialing plate, and a handle movable axially on the plunger through a limited distance.

10.A device for use with the dialing plates of automatic telephone instruments, the said dev i 7 2,097,384. vice comprising a split ring adapted to engage.

within a rim on a diaiingpiate, a lug on the said ring adapted to be lodged in a hole in thedialing plate, a pivot pin supported by the'said ring, an arm rotatably mounted on the .pivot pin, a plung er carried-by the said arm so as to be movable into and out of engagement with apertures in the dialing plate, and a handle movable axially on the plunger through a limited distance.

11. A device for use with the dialing plates of automatic telephone instruments, the said device comprising a split ring adapted to engage within a rim on the dialing plate, an arm rotatably carried on the said ring, an axially movable plunger carried by thesaid arm so as to be movable into alignment with each aperture in the dialing plate, in turn, and a handle mounted on the plunger and movable axially thereon through g: I

a limited distance.

12. A device for use with the dialing plates of automatic telephone instruments, the said device comprising a split ring adapted to engage with a rim on the dialing plate, a rotatable arm attached to the dialing plate by the said split ring, a tubular bearing carried on the said arm, an axially movable plunger mounted in the tubular bearing, a. spring acting to thrust the plunger in one direction in the bearing, a handle mounted on the said bearing around the said plunger, a spring urging the handle in the opposite direction to that in which the plunger is urged by its spring and a sleeve carried by the plunger and having a flange thereon to limit the movement of the said handle. g BARNETT SEGEAL. 

